Tornado and Hail in Alabama, April 15, 1994

Name: Tornado and Hail in Alabama, April 15, 1994
Start: 1994-04-15T05:15
End: 1994-04-15T21:00
Location: Alabama

April 15, 1994 · 27 events in 18 counties and zones

14 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 26 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $1.4 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 27

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

14 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cullman

When: April 15, 5:15 AM CST
Where: Cullman County, Trimble
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates: 34.132, -86.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds gusted to 70 mph at Trimble. Half-inch hail was also reported.

Hail, Lamar

When: April 15, 6:16 AM CST
Where: Lamar County, Between Sulligent and
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.779, -88.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Marion

When: April 15, 6:28 AM CST
Where: Marion County, Guin
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.137, -87.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball-size hail was reported in Guin.

Thunderstorm Wind, Limestone

When: April 15, 7:02 AM CST
Where: Limestone County, Athens
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Path length: 0.4 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 34.810, -86.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm winds took part of the roof off a house under construction and blew away a utility building. A resident reported seeing a "strange looking black thing" in the sky but damage was consistent with straight winds.

Hail, Lamar

When: April 15, 7:20 AM CST
Where: Lamar County, Vernon
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.779, -88.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three-quarter inch hail was reported in Vernon.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cullman

When: April 15, 8:48 AM CST
Where: Cullman County, Cullman
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 34.132, -86.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm winds damaged a house and barn and destroyed a mobile home just west of Holly Pond. Three-quarter inch hail was reported at Fairview about 10 miles northeast of Cullman.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cullman

When: April 15, 8:54 AM CST
Where: Cullman County, Holly Pond
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 34.132, -86.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm winds damaged a house and barn and destroyed a mobile home just west of Holly Pond. Three-quarter inch hail was reported at Fairview about 10 miles northeast of Cullman.

Hail, Cullman

When: April 15, 8:55 AM CST
Where: Cullman County, Cullman
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.132, -86.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm winds damaged a house and barn and destroyed a mobile home just west of Holly Pond. Three-quarter inch hail was reported at Fairview about 10 miles northeast of Cullman.

Thunderstorm Wind, Marshall

When: April 15, 9:15 AM CST to 9:20 AM CST
Where: Marshall County, Arab; Martling & Popl
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 34.367, -86.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three-quarter inch hail was reported by the Arab Police Department with sizes varying from one-half to three-quarters of an inch. Several trees were toppled in the Martling and Poplar Springs areas including one tree that heavily damaged a mobile home. Pieces of tin were blown off the roofs of several chicken houses in the area.

Hail, Marshall

When: April 15, 9:15 AM CST to 9:20 AM CST
Where: Marshall County, Arab; Martling & Popl
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.367, -86.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Jefferson

When: April 15, 10:25 AM CST
Where: Jefferson County, Vestavia Hills
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.554, -86.896 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball-size hail fell in Vestavia Hills. The roof on a sporting goods store collapsed at 1130 CST following a lightning strike on the building and extremely heavy rain. None of the fifteen people in the store were hurt.

Thunderstorm Wind, Calhoun

When: April 15, 11:50 AM CST
Where: Calhoun County
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 33.771, -85.826 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees were downed along with power lines in southern Calhoun County during a thunderstorm. Public reports to 911 of funnel clouds south-southeast of Jacksonville.

Hail, Tallapoosa

When: April 15, 2:10 PM CST
Where: Tallapoosa County, Alexander City
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 32.862, -85.797 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail from three-quarters of an inch to golf ball-size fell during one of several thunderstorms that went through the Alexander City area during the day and early evening. More than two inches of rain was also reported with the various storms.

Hail, Walker

When: April 15, 2:58 PM CST
Where: Walker County, Sumiton
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.803, -87.297 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Amateur radio storm spotters reported three-quarter inch hail about two miles northeast of Sumiton in eastern Walker County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lamar

When: April 15, 3:05 PM CST
Where: Lamar County
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 33.779, -88.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm winds downed trees in scattered areas throughout the county. All of Vernon was reported without power at one point during the storm.

Thunderstorm Wind, Marion

When: April 15, 3:10 PM CST
Where: Marion County, Winfield
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 34.137, -87.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several trees and power lines were downed in Winfield. A funnel cloud was reported near Winfield.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fayette

When: April 15, 3:25 PM CST
Where: Fayette County, Fayette
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 33.721, -87.739 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees and power lines were downed in thunderstorm winds. Though Fayette was reportedly the hardest hit area, downed trees were scattered throughout the county.

Hail, Tuscaloosa

When: April 15, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Tuscaloosa County, Northport
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.290, -87.525 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball-size hail was reported near Northport and there were several reports of funnel clouds along Highway 171.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: April 15, 4:25 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County, Centerpoint
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 33.554, -86.896 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two people were injured at the Centerpoint ball park when thunderstorm winds damaged the bleachers and press box.

Hail, Etowah

When: April 15, 4:25 PM CST
Where: Etowah County, Gadsden
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.045, -86.035 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail between half and three-quarters of an inch was reported in Gadsden and Southside along with winds to 30 mph.

Hail, Shelby

When: April 15, 4:35 PM CST
Where: Shelby County, Alabaster
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.264, -86.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm spotters reported three-quarter inch hail in Alabaster.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clarke

When: April 15, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Clarke County
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 31.677, -87.831 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees were reportedly blown down all across Clarke County during a thunderstorm that occurred around 1815 CST. A plane anchored at the Grove Hill airport was flipped and just east of the airport an old armory occupied by a tire company suffered roof damage. Several trees fell on buildings causing some structural damage. Much of the reported damage occurred in and around Grove Hill. About 1500 electric customers were without power.

Tornado, St. Clair

When: April 15, 5:24 PM CST
Where: St. Clair County, Branchville
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $500,000
Coordinates: 33.650, -86.430

An off-duty police officer and two citizens saw a funnel cloud dip down and go back into the cloud at 1724 CST. The damaging winds associated with the tornado produced damage at the Pecan Grove Trailer Park off Highway 411 in Branchville. Twelve mobile homes and three houses were damaged and about 50 trees were uprooted or snapped off.

Hail, Calhoun

When: April 15, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Calhoun County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.771, -85.826 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball-size hail was reported in the Coldwater area of Calhoun County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: April 15, 6:55 PM CST
Where: Monroe County, Monroeville
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 31.571, -87.365 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees were uprooted at the intersection of Highway 30 and 35 according to local law enforcement agencies.

Thunderstorm Wind, Escambia

When: April 15, 7:45 PM CST
Where: Escambia County, Dixonville
Property damage: $500,000
Coordinates: 31.126, -87.162 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm winds downed trees in the Dixonville and McCall areas of Escambia County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Covington

When: April 15, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Covington County
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 31.249, -86.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong winds with thunderstorms caused scattered damage across Covington County Friday evening. One of the major effects was power outage with about 4,300 electric customers without power. Trees were downed and some light roof damage was reported to out-buildings and chicken coops.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alabama in 1994 Every state in 1994 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Alabama, 1994 Warnings in Alabama, April 1994

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10314680, 10314236, 10314022, 10314619, 10314237, 10314681, 10314682, 10314683, 10358437, 10358438, 10314202, 10314640, 10314019, 10313824, 10314238, 10314023, 10314606, 10314069, 10314203, 10314562, 10313819, 10314398, 10313893, 10314584, 10313956, 10314492, 10314600.